The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-30
JACK SIMS and ZIG oHErL.
How O'Neips Death At sims's Hands In the
Yale Riot was Avenged by His Brother.

How O'NeiPs Death at sius's Hauds In tbs
Yale Riot was Avenged by His Brother.
NEW HAVEN Oct. 29.-Away back In the
flfties, when Yale men were still engaged in
their rows with the fire laddies, and not on the
best OF terms with any Of the New Haven pop
ulation, occurred that memorable riot. not the
only one in the annals Of Yale. that ended In
the killing of the leader OF the mob by the
students. The story is short. OF absorbing In
terest, and has often been told, but 1t had q
sequel. not generally known, and as dramatic
as the romances Of recent fiction.
During March. 1854. q pretty Irish actress
Mrs. Harry Gratten Plunkett) had been win
ming the hearts Of the students at the old
theatre that was then standing on the corner
OF Chapel and Church streets. One night when
quite crowd OF seniors were occupying the
first rows, an Irish jig dancer had been re-
peatedly encored by q jealous claque OF his
countrymen in the back seats. The students,
anxious for the play to proceed and for the re-
patience il hissss instantly there was Pa "a
the rear became insolent and when at last the
performance was oyer warned the students
sRey sssasns
Toward the end q Tho evening az an alarm q Are
%as .qns snf es ii hss
would have to fight their way back to tho COL
gathered. The crisis had Some The townies
had formed In q solid column OF twos, with
s nS a TIP ae S Ess sss
multitude Suddenly. despite the efforts OF
see tSs Sody stade4s
Steadily they kept. on. carrying their wounded
aiS aseqy s s1Rf q s0sEs Jim
BIS left, The rear guard was Jack Sims Of
senioss Both fnu had iso sSt after 81 fESt with
one and another OF the mob. whose leader
Ees Of IKE
some one else 0'Neil Crapolssd ed. with him
other. In the struseie that followed the Mis-
frss @ that he %ssf IN
throat, and Sims knew that lie was being
beRnd By 1 tho rest q lie Column Unable to
call out surrounded by the enemy, and feeling
SIMS s "a, ou Tu as s lash he long dagger
stabbed 9N to 81 hea pss ~ bsr
ieade esI the mob retired }rom the Attack and
That night the rioters ragged increasingly, de-
and for suo ess s4s dsys that suhores
ana students prevented rpneWal ol
But the Mississippian. what OF himr He had
ESCAPED on the moment, but In the struggle ne
had lost his hat. In which his name was writ
ten. AS soon as possible nfterward he left
college and returned TO the South. Every one
had Justified what no had done; 1t was shown
to be a clear case of seif-deicnce; and It was
said that, recognizing that. llct. tho Faculty
gave him his degree whom his class graduated
Seven years ufterwnrd tho war between lie
States hogan, and North and South confronted
one another in arms. Gen. Raines was killed
In tho battlc OF Murtreesboro commanding a
the college ARRAY IN q famous Mississlppi
regiment which had enrolled q number OF Yale
graduates. fought unhurt through all the CAM
pafgns OF the Army of Northern Virginia, until
at the end OF 1854, when darkness had stopped
the last battle between Sheridan and Early,
he stood with his comrades beside camp ire
Discussing the Incidents OF tho day. Presently
one OF them recalled mn adventure OF thcir
youthful days. and something elected from the
Major a recital Of his own part In that riot at
Yale in '54 New Haven towny. n member
OF n Federal battery. beside his gun u quarter
OF q milo away was ordered 10 try his aim at
thnt camp irv, and as chance would have II tho
tirst attsmpt dropped a round shot there VITA
such precision as 10 take Jack Sims'6 head
from his shoulders as clean us though II had
been cut oil by suillotine. Strange as II may
seem, the man who aimed the fatal shot was
the brother OF the man Jack killed In tho col
lego row ten years before. Thus without
knowing It was ONeil's death avenged. The
romantic part OF the story came to the knowl-
edge Of New HRvenere only Tow days since.